when are GCSEs usually taken

[fatandtrying]

just that really! want to book a holiday for me and DS for when he's done he's in 2026! thought it would be a lovely break after the stress!

You can look up exam board dates online, def finished by last week of June.

Don’t forget to allow for any leaving school events - prom, awards evening, leaver assemblies etc.

I think there’s also some reserve dates in case there’s any problems with the exams so you have to allow for those too.

This year my daughters are 12th May until 13th June but it’s subject depending.

June 30th is the official end usually.

After GCSEs there may be prom and 6th form taster days.
However if you don't care about them you need to just wait until the last emergency day (has a different name).

My DD’s last exam is 18 June, but we have prom the week after and 6th form college offer holder days the week after that

No prom or anything and no official leaving date as its a specialist provision! I've tried to search for the official date can't find anything, will have a look again later! thanks all

@fatandtrying the statutory school leaving age in England and Wales is the last Friday in June of the school year in which the child turns 16.
So all exams will have to be done by then.
That's the 26th June in 2026.

Dc doing theirs this year last exam 17th June (but obviously depends on subjects. Contingency day is 25th June so we've booked for 26th (dc doesn't want to go to prom which is on 27th). We'll also be back in time for sixth form induction day which for us is the 9th July.
We waited till January to book following school giving dates for the above.

You’ll be safe if you go on 1st July. Check if you want earlier.

Check the website of your specific exam board(s). For us (A levels next year with wjec) there’s only a provisional timetable available so far. Don’t book anything until after the last contingency date. If you’re not sure, double check with school.

thanks everyone, I did email school last week but they did say they couldn't confirm it! I had left school in year 9 so didn't go through gsces at school so wasn't sure how it all worked! do they get study leave also?

They don’t get study leave at my child’s school. Be mindful that there’s also a lot of mocks, coursework deadlines and the school don’t have confirmed dates until a few months prior.

My DDs art exam is this week coming a whole month before the official block.

Most schools don’t do study leave now.

Don’t forget contingency dates. DS and his mates were booking a holiday post A-levels and had to rearrange where they were going once they remembered to check contingency dates!

luckily he doesn't have any subjects with coursework, his school don't even send homework as they couldn't cope with it! he's already done his function skills level 1&2 in maths and English amd passed so not a lot of pressure around his gcses

hopefully at his next EHCP meeting I will get some proper dates penciled in. glad they managed to re arrange it

Defintely speak to the school because some SS keep their Y11 pupils to the end of term as normal.

It's very, very small, but OCR (one of the exam boards- but they all pretty much line up) states here the provisional contingency date is Wed 24 June 2026.

If you are sure about taster days for his next steps you should be ok to go after that. Remember - it's all provisional at this point.

Even if he is they are happy for holidays in term time as he can't cope with busy places, which has been great for us! but won't be taking him out now in year 10 and into year 11!

no wonder I couldn't find it lol thank you so much! and unfortunately I don't think we will be having any next steps, especially not that soon after leaving school.

You realise he legally has to be in education or training until he is 18?
So there needs to be a plan for 16-18. Mine is likely to be staying at the same school, and has 2 taster days for 6th form. College is the same - called preview day.

Technically that's not true as the Statutory School Leaving Age (England) is still the last Friday in June in the academic year in which a child turns 16.
Plus the OPs child may have a plan set up already.

The provisional timetable will be released in November but you can assume that it will be relatively similar to this year's, they don't make huge changes year to year if they can help it.

Every year there's a "contingency day" where if a massive disaster caused a specific exam to be disrupted for everyone (not just something affecting a small number) then exams are rescheduled for that day. This year that is Wednesday 25th June. To be on the safe side I wouldn't book anything earlier than Thursday 2nd July 2026, which should give a clear week for anything unexpected (and a bit of recovery time)

Provisional timetables for the summer 26 series have already been released. For example, this is the one for GCSE Edexcel.

Unless OP and her DS are going to make their own arrangements post 16, OP’s DC is very unlikely to have a plan via the EHCP. Post 16 phase transfer EHCPs don’t have to be finalised until 31st March of Y11.

Although the school leaving age is 16, under Part 1 of Education and Skills Act 2008, young people are under a duty to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Even if that part time study alongside employment or volunteering for more than 20 hours. Or maybe via EOTISC via the EHCP. In practice, very little happens, though.